The government's belated move to impose night curfew in an attempt to break the chain of transmission is a mere eyewash because the restrictions which are prescribed are superficial and intended to only curb crowd movement at night. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant clarifies that it is none of his government's business to check what happens behind closed doors. He informs that police will not intrude into 5-stars, casinos and other private properties to enforce clampdown. Does that imply only those moving on the streets at night are prone to infection?
The latest strategy of enforcing curbs at night on crowd movement is a farce because full-blown night parties with loud music running into the wee hours of the morning have gone unchecked along the northern coastal belt right through the pandemic. There was a party even as the State was mourning the loss of lives in recent days.
Is this all the tourism-sensitive minds in the administration can think of to secure the lives of people? How will a few restrictions make sense when the State still gives a red carpet to all sorts of visitors from across India and the world by waiving off all restrictions? Are we still clinging to the tourism argument?
An emotional pitch is being raised on young lives falling to Covid, but who is responsible for opening the floodgates to the virus? Are these youngsters to be blamed, or those who violated protocol in a free Goa, or is it our lawmakers who are supposed to be the guardians? The government cannot blame ordinary citizens when the atmosphere remains casual. It is the political leaders and public representatives who have set a bad precedent by going full steam campaigning for elections and addressing rallies in blatant abuse of protocol. Ironically, these restrictions on movement and night curfew have come after campaigning concluded for the second phase of municipal elections.
There cannot be crocodile tears when nothing substantial is done on the ground to break transmission. The enforcement machinery has remained a helpless spectator, penalizing a stray offender, but it lacked the spine to tackle the powerful taxi lobby which has been assembling in complete violation of rules right in the heart of the capital city.
While a new set of rules, regulations and don’ts are announced, there is no clarity on how these are going to be enforced. If there is a ceiling on crowds in casinos, events, spas and gymnasiums there have to be stringent checks. The attitude of “what happens inside is none of our business” sounds ridiculous in this context. The protocol cannot be left to the discretion of a select few. Postponement of the 10th and 12th board exams will bring a huge relief to students, but it’s sad that the CM remained insensitive to the anguish and fear of students, and failed to even give them a hearing.
The high count of positive cases is attributed to the scaled-up testing, but that cannot be any consolation when we are losing 17 to 26 lives. Lockdown may have drastic consequences on the State, but at least restrictions need to have a sense of purpose. There has to be ruthless enforcement, not a selective one.
